DE SMET — Two of De Smet’s own made the town proud Monday night.

South Dakota State junior Kalen Garry and sophomore Damon Wilkinson started in the same game for the first time since high school at The Field of 68 Opening Day Marathon inside the Sanford Pentagon.

Garry and Wilkinson helped power the Jacks to a 75-66 win over Merrimack to close out the marathon, and help first-year coach Bryan Peterson get his first win as SDSU's head coach.

“It was great,” said Garry, a 6-foot-3 guard. “Huge win for coach Petersen. “I thought we had a really good night. We competed hard on the defensive end. Their zone is tough to know, we got good looks all night. In the second half we got a little sticky with it, couldn’t get it in their shells but for the most part we competed super hard and that’s all that coach cares about.”

Garry finished the night with nine points, seven rebounds, four assists and a steal on two of his seven shots attempted but his two baskets couldn’t have been at a better time. With under five minutes to play, Garry hit back-to-back three-pointers to cap off a 12-3 run late in the game.

South Dakota State Jackrabbits' Kalen Garry drives to the hoop during the second half of the Field of 68 Opening Day Marathon Monday, Nov. 3 2025 at the Pentagon in Sioux Falls. (Rodney Haas / 605 Sports)

“We were getting stops and we were playing with great pace,” Garry said. “We kind of had a little lull in the second half and we just got a couple really good possessions and that’s when we got the crowd involved, and got the W after that.”

While Garry is a returning starter for the Jacks, it was a particularly memorable night for Wilkinson who made his first career collegiate start for the Yellow and Blue.

Wilkinson played 19 minutes, totaling 10 points, seven rebounds (two offensive rebounds) and one assist on 3-of-7 shooting from the floor.

“It was pretty cool, I played last year quite a bit so starting isn’t anything different for me really, you’re just out there first,” said Wilkinson, who appeared in 27 games last season for the Jacks. “I was a little bit nervous going into the game but I just came in with the same mindset and just did my thing.”

The 6-foot-10 center added that his biggest adjustment to the starting lineup was stepping up as leader.

South Dakota State Jackrabbits' Damon Wilkinson reacts after being fouled on a shot during the first half of the Field of 68 Opening Day Marathon Monday, Nov. 3 2025 at the Pentagon in Sioux Falls. (Rodney Haas / 605 Sports)

“Me and Pete (Coach Petersen) talked quite a bit about just being a leader on this team now that I’m starting,” Wilkinson said, “I think that my role on the team went pretty well tonight for sure.”

But the two former De Smet Bulldogs reflected on how far their basketball careers have come, and how after all these years, they still find themselves in the same uniform.

“We kind of take it for granted because we see each other every day, but to the fans it is so special and to the community of De Smet, we’re so grateful for them and everything they’ve done for us,” Garry said. “Me and Damon, we’re best buds. We love playing with each other, love hanging out off the court and he’ll be my brother for life.”

From back-to-back Class B state champions to the Summit League, Garry and Wilkinson’s college basketball journeys are far from over as they start the 2025 Jackrabbit season with a win.

“It’s been so fun, we grew up together, we’re neighbors and live 20 yards away from each other. I grew up with Damon, we’ve played since high school and we have great chemistry together.
“He’s just kept working,” Garry said. “He grew really fast in high school and he didn’t have the most skills in the world but he just kept working, he comes to work every day. I’m just super proud of him, he’s a heckuva player and I’m grateful to share the floor with him.”

“It’s just cool to play with that guy,” Wilkinson said of Garry. “We’ve been best buds since first grade, it’s just insane that we came from a town of 1,000 people and we get to go do this night in and night out.”